1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle-seat storing structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, in a small vehicle such as a 2-door or 3-door car, a passenger can get into a rear cabin space of the vehicle to sit on a rear passenger seat (assistant driver""s seat) in a seat position where a seatback of a front passenger seat is frontwardly inclined (and the entire front passenger seat is frontwardly moved, if necessary). When the seat is in such a position, the frontwardly inclined seatback or a headrest attached to the upper end thereof can block the view from a driver seat, for example, such that a driver cannot check a sideview mirror on the side of the front passenger seat. Thus, in a seat arrangement having an inclinable/slidable or movable front passenger seat, it is desired to arrange the front passenger seat in a desirable position where a passenger can smoothly get into the rear cabin space to sit on the rear passenger seat without causing any blocking of the view from the driver seat.
In compliance with the demand for such a seat arrangement, there have been recently proposed various sheet arrangements for allowing front and/or rear passenger seats to be moved to and stored in a given position, so as to provide enhanced ride-comfort or space-utility even in a limited space such as a cabin space of a vehicle. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-238560 discloses an automobile seat arrangement comprising: a first slide rail for longitudinally (i.e. frontwardly and rearwardly) moving a front passenger seat between a position where the front passenger seat is located below a dashboard and a regular position where the front passenger seat is located in parallel with a driver seat; a rear passenger seat divided into right and left seat bodies; and a second slide rail for longitudinally moving one of the seat bodies located just behind the front passenger seat, between a regular position and a longitudinally intermediate position lying between the other seat body and the driver seat. In this seat arrangement, the front passenger seat includes a seatback adapted to be frontwardly inclined and superimposed on a seating surface of the front passenger seat, wherein the front passenger seat can be stored in a space below the dashboard after the backseat is frontwardly inclined and a headrest is detached therefrom. In addition, according to this sear arrangement, a passenger can freely walk through the cabin space by positioning the rear seat body located just behind the front passenger seat approximately in the longitudinally intermediate position lying between the other seat body and the driver seat.
Generally, an instrument panel is provided in the front end zone of the cabin space to serve as a dashboard. The instrument panel defines an inside space for incorporating therein various components, such as an airbag or an air-conditioning unit including an evaporator and a heater core to controllably adjust cabin air and outside air so as to provide a given cabin-air condition, with arranging them in the width direction of the vehicle. Thus, if it is intended to provide a seat storing space in the instrument panel to store a seat in connection with the instrument panel, it is required to give consideration to the layout of the various components to be contained in the inside space of the instrument panel. In addition, it is desired to store the seat with good appearance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle-seat storing structure capable of assuring a seat storing space without adverse affect on the component layout in the inside space of an instrument panel and of storing a seat with good appearance.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle-seat storing structure having in combination an instrument panel disposed in the front end zone of a cabin space of a vehicle along the width direction of the vehicle, and a seat disposed opposed to the instrument panel. In this vehicle-seat storing structure, the seat comprises a seat cushion supported approximately horizontally and adapted to be slidably moved in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle, a seatback having a lower end pivotally coupled to the rear end of the seat cushion so as to be frontwardly inclined toward the seat cushion, and a headrest provided at the upper end of the seatback. Further, the instrument panel has a concave portion on the opposed side to the seat. The concave portion is adapted to receive therein at least a part of the seatback or the headrest in a seat position where the seat cushion is moved to a given position in the front end zone of the cabin space and the seatback is inclined frontwardly by a given angle.
The above vehicle-seat storing structure makes it possible to facilitate storing the seat with good appearance.
In a specific embodiment, the instrument panel defines an inside space having a given zone containing an air-conditioning unit for controllably adjusting cabin air and outside air to provide a desired cabin-air condition. In this case, the given zone may be located approximately centrally in the width direction of the vehicle, and the concave portion may be formed in a region of the instrument panel where the concave portion does not overlap the air-conditioning unit in the width direction of the vehicle.
This embodiment makes it possible to assure the seat storing space without adverse affect on the layout of the air-conditioning unit.
Further, the instrument panel is provided with an air outlet for discharging a conditioned air prepared by the air-conditioning unit into the cabin space, and the inside space of the instrument panel contains an air-conditioning duct for providing fluid communication between the air-conditioning unit and the air outlet to deliver the conditioned air. In this case, the air-conditioning duct may be formed to detour around the concave portion without causing interference therewith.
This makes it possible to assure the seat storing space without adverse affect on the layout of the air outlet and the air-conditioning duct in fluid communication therewith.
In another embodiment, the instrument panel may define therebelow a space for receiving therein the seat cushion in the seat position where the seat is stored in connection with the instrument panel.
According to this embodiment, the seat can be stored at a more frontward position to provide an increased cabin space behind the seat. Thus, the ride-comfort or space-utility of the cabin can be enhanced.
In still another embodiment, the concave portion may be formed such that a cabin-facing surface of the part of the seatback or the headrest received in the concave portion becomes approximately flush with the surface of the instrument panel around the cabin-facing surface, in the seat position where the seat is stored in connection with the instrument panel.
According to this embodiment, the seat can be stored with more enhanced appearance.
In yet another embodiment, the concave portion may have a surface formed in conformity to the peripheral surface of the part of the seatback or the headrest to be received in the concave portion.
This embodiment prevents excessive gap between the instrument panel and the part of the seat received in the concave portion. Thus, the seat can be stored with more enhanced appearance.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle-seat storing structure having in combination an instrument panel disposed in the front end zone of a cabin space of a vehicle along the width direction of the vehicle, and a seat disposed opposed to the instrument panel. In this vehicle-seat storing structure, the seat comprises a seat cushion adapted to be slidably moved in the frontward and rearward directions of the vehicle and to be rotatably moved to a uprightly standing position opposed to the instrument panel, a seatback having a lower end pivotally coupled to the rear end of the seat cushion so as to be frontwardly inclined and superimposed on the seat cushion, and a headrest attached to the upper end of the seatback. Further, the instrument panel has a concave portion on the opposed side to the seat. The concave portion is adapted to receive therein at least a part of the seat in a seat position where the seat cushion is moved to the uprightly standing position with superposing the seatback thereon and is slid to its frontmost position.
This makes it possible to facilitate storing the seat with good appearance.
In a specific embodiment, the instrument panel defines an inside space having a given zone containing an air-conditioning unit for controllably adjusting cabin air and outside air to provide a desired cabin-air condition. In this case, the given zone may be located approximately centrally in the width direction of the vehicle, and the concave portion may be formed in a region of the instrument panel where the concave portion does not overlap the air-conditioning unit in the width direction of the vehicle.
This embodiment makes it possible to assure the seat storing space without adverse affect on the layout of the air-conditioning unit.
Further, the instrument panel is provided with an air outlet for discharging a conditioned air prepared by the air-conditioning unit into the cabin space, and the inside space of the instrument panel contains an air-conditioning duct for providing fluid communication between the air-conditioning unit and the air outlet to deliver the conditioned air. In this case, the air-conditioning duct may be formed to detour around the concave portion without causing interference therewith.
This makes it possible to assure the seat storing space without adverse affect on the layout of the air outlet and the air-conditioning duct in fluid communication therewith.
In the first and second aspect of the present invention, the seat may be a front passenger seat disposed in parallel with a driver seat on the front side of the cabin space, and a rear passenger seat may be provided behind the front passenger seat.
This can provide relatively wide cabin space in front of the rear passenger seat.